The French leader said Kievs European supporters must continue to equip its troops even in peacetime

A potential peace deal must not place limits on the size of Ukraine's military, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, rejecting Russia's demands.

Earlier this year, Moscow reaffirmed that peace terms must include Ukraine's neutrality and legally binding restrictions on the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kiev dismissed the demand as unacceptable.

Macron made his remarks following a meeting in Washington on Monday between the heads of six Western European states, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, and US President Donald Trump. He said European countries should take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine and equipping its army.

"The first security guarantee is a robust Ukrainian army capable of repelling any attempted attack," Macron told reporters after the negotiations. He added that the Ukrainian army should consist of "several hundred thousand men" and face "no limitations on its size," according to Le Figaro.

The Ukrainian army has struggled to replenish its ranks during the ongoing mobilization campaign, as Russia has steadily gained ground.

Ukraine has long urged the West to provide guarantees similar to NATO's collective defense, as an alternative to full membership in the alliance, which the US has rejected. Trump said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to security guarantees for Kiev, without elaborating.

Trump met with Putin in Alaska on Friday, with both sides describing the summit as an important step toward peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly said it would not tolerate any Western troops in Ukraine, even under the guise of peacekeepers, and insisted that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO. Putin also warned that Ukraine could use a potential ceasefire to regroup and rearm.

(RT.com)